


A Tour of Castle Strigoi

by JoeMerl



Series: March of the Monsters 2021 [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Hypnotism, March of the Monsters 2021, Non-Sexual, Tags Contain Spoilers, Vampire Bites, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:27:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29795355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoeMerl/pseuds/JoeMerl
Summary: Welcome to Castle Strigoi, once home of a medieval tyrant and supposed vampire. Are visitors really in danger of bloodsucking fiends? Well, take a tour and you may find out.
Series: March of the Monsters 2021 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2189316
Kudos: 1





	A Tour of Castle Strigoi

**Author's Note:**

> March of the Monsters, day 3:
> 
>  ~~“My babysitter is a __.”~~ Ancient. Castle.

"Hello, and welcome to Castle Strigoi. I am Jusztina and I will be your guide through this fascinating historical landmark."

Jusztina gave a practiced smile. She was a pretty woman with short black hair, wearing a traditional Romanian dress (with pockets). Her accent was just strong enough to be "exotic" but still comprehensible to the English-speaking tourists, about fifteen of whom were gathered in the entrance hall.

She began her speech, using a cheerful tone as she motioned to the decorations all along the wall. "The original fortress was built in the 13th century, though at the time it was only made of wood. The Mongols burned it down in the 1240s, after which..."

"What about the vampires?" somebody called from the group.

Jusztina looked up. It was a teenage boy with dirty blond hair. His mother swatted him on the arm and shushed him, but Jusztina only smiled.

"A little patience, everyone!" She wagged her finger at the group, earning a smattering of chuckles. "But I know what you are all interested in hearing. Yes, it is true. Over the years, legend has it that _vampires_ used to live in this castle. Or perhaps still do."

The blond boy, and several of the other tourists, were started to look interested now. She motioned for the group to follow, heading over to a portrait on the wall.

"This is the castle's most famous owner, Ban Nicolae Roșu. He was known to be quite a tyrant, so much so that he was assassinated. Legend has it that he sometimes captured people from the local towns and brought them here to _eat_ them. And some say that he did not stop just because he died.

"But unfortunately, I cannot tell you the _full_ story of Ban Nicolae unless we discuss the castle's history," she teased. "So, if you will follow me..."

* * *

Jusztina led them through the castle, stopping at the kitchen, the dining room, the courtyard and explaining the various artifacts on display. She did make sure to drop a new tidbit about Ban Nicolae and the possible vampires every so often. She knew that the tourists came for. 

"And for our last stop, we have Ban Nicolae's private chambers," she said, pausing with her hand on the door. "Here we can see his original bed, as well as other objects that were used before the...hmm?"

She had led the group into the room, only for a confused look to cross her face.

The large, stone chamber was empty, except for a large black crate in the middle of the floor. There were no windows, and only one of the electric lights on the wall were working, leaving the room dimly lit.

Jusztina turned back to the group, frowning. "I—I'm sorry. The bed is supposed to be here. I'm not sure—"

"It's the vampire's coffin!" the blond boy called out again.

"No it's not!" cried a younger girl who seemed to be his sister.

Suddenly the crate snapped open a half-inch. A few people jumped at the noise.

Then the lid was thrown off, and a humanoid figure leapt into a sitting position!

" _BLAH! I vant to suck your blood! BLAH!_ "

The prop—a pallid but very fake-looking animatronic, the kind which you might have seen at an amusement park's haunted house—lowered itself back into a lying position. Most of the tourists had been startled by the jump-scare, and most were chuckling now. The little girl hugged her mother fearfully while her teenage brother looked annoyed.

Jusztina shut the fake coffin (it was _supposed_ to close by itself, but never had) and gave her group another sly smile.

"Well, sorry. No actual vampires in _this_ room, at least."

She led them back out, and the tour was pretty much over. There was, however, one more important stop. She paused outside of a dark passageway, picking up a lantern from a small table. It was battery-powered, but designed like an old-fashioned oil lantern.

"This was once a _secret passageway,_ used by the castle's occupants to escape during attacks. I'm afraid the electricity does not work here, but it is the only way to get to the exit in the back," she said, giving her group a look of practiced solemnity. "So follow closely, and be careful! If there _are_ any vampires in Castle Strigoi, this would be a perfect place for them to hide."

She led the group into the dark corridor. The little girl was reluctant to follow, so her family wound up near the back. 

Jusztina led the way slowly. Every once in a while she said "Everybody here?" or "Watch for those steps," but always in a soft voice, augmenting the spooky ambiance. When she heard somebody stumble she said "Everyone alright?," but didn't actually slow her pace. Since she had the only light, everyone was forced to follow.

After a few minutes they saw a light, then emerged into another room. Everybody clambered out, and Jusztina clapped her hands as she turned to face them, smiling pleasantly.

"Ah! I guess there were no vampires after all. I hope none of you are disappointed! That concludes our tour of Castle Strigoi. If you want something from the gift shop—I'm sorry, is there a problem?"

There was a small commotion near the back. Everyone turned to find the mother with her young daughter, but not her teenage son. She looked through the crowd frantically, then turned back to the passageway. 

"Jonny!" she called. "Jonny!"

"Oh, dear. He must have gotten separated in the dark!" Jusztina came over as the mother threw up her hands. "He might have stumbled into a side passage."

"Side passage?! Why would you lead us through a dark tunnel if there was a chance of getting lost?!"

"Look here. Do not worry," Jusztina said, touching the mother's shoulder and looking her firmly in the eye. "There is no real danger in the passageway. You and your daughter wait here. I will find your son and be back in just a few minutes."

The woman took a deep breath, blinked hard, and then said, "Alright. Just hurry."

"I will. And I will show you a trick!"

She went to the wall, where there was a small box next to the passage's entrance. She opened it, flipped a switch, and suddenly lights switched on in the corridor. A few people laughed as she winked at them.

"There is nothing to worry about. I will be right back. Everyone else can proceed to the gift shop."

Everyone but Jonny's mother and sister wandered off, while Jusztina reentered the passage. 

She smirked to herself as she went, then licked her lips.

* * *

There were several side passages, but Jusztina didn't have trouble finding the one where Jonny was wandering. She had picked up his scent even before she heard him call out a faint "Hello?!"

He looked up at the sound of her approach, giving a smile that looked both relieved and embarrassed. 

"Oh, hey! Glad I found you."

"It is I who found _you,_ young man." Jusztina frowned, giving Jonny a serious look. "You were not trying to make trouble, were you?"

His shoulders hunched up. "No, ma'am. I just, I dunno—stumbled into the wrong tunnel or something."

"I do not believe you. Look me in the eye and say it."

"Honest, ma'am, I just couldn't see you in the back. I just...went the wrong way and...got...lost...I..."

Jusztina kept her gaze steady, even as the boy's got increasingly dull and confused. He started to look away, but his eyes quickly locked back onto hers. A long moment passed.

"Were you hoping to meet a vampire, Jonny?" Jusztina smiled wanly. "Between you and me, I can say that Ban Nicolae was certainly not one. Otherwise, it would not have been so easy to kill him! Now, close your eyes and pull up your sleeve."

Slowly, Jonny's eyes shut and his chin fell to his chest. He reached over to roll up the short sleeve of his T-shirt, exposing the paler skin of his upper arm. It was Jusztina's preferred place to feed from. Much easier than the neck to hide or explain away. 

"Now put your arm like this—yes, that's right. It will help the blood flow. Just keep doing that, but don't move. Stay as still as you can, alright?"

He didn't answer as she glided over to his side. She paused for a moment, eyes darting to his blank face, then sank her teeth into his flesh.

Jonny remained still, but she felt every muscle in his body tighten. He groaned in pain, but kept flexing his arm, helping to draw more blood into her mouth. 

Her teeth sank even deeper. Tears of pain formed in his eyes.

She didn't drink much—less than a doctor would have taken if Jonny had gone to donate blood. Then again, he looked a few years too young for that. But he would be fine. Jusztina wasn't neither cruel nor foolish enough to leave a trail of bodies behind her, let alone new vampires. 

She reached out to straighten his arm, pulled her head back, and quickly took a large, square bandage from her pocket, wiping and then covering the wound. "Press down on this. Keep pressing, and raise your arm..."

She straightened up and moved back in front of Jonny. His face was still downcast, but he held his right arm out at shoulder length, his left hand pressing down awkwardly on the bandage. She smiled fondly, one delicate finger moving his blond bangs from his face.

"Thank you for that, Jonny. But you are not going to remember any of this. If anyone asks about your bandage, say will say that you fell, and then the nice tour guide helped clean the wound. You will try not to let anyone see under it. Nod if you understand."

Jonny's head bobbed.

"Good. Keep pressing the bandage until I tell you...and wake up, feeling happy and relaxed."

Jonny looked up, blinked a few times, and then the sheepish smile was back, even though there were tear tracks down his freckled cheeks.

"There now, honey. Is your arm all better?"

"Oh, yeah, it's fine. I fell down," he added quickly, nodding toward the wound. "Thanks for the bandage. And for coming to find me."

"It is no problem; tourists are always getting lost in these passages. But are you sure that you are well? You look a bit pale."

"I dunno. I'm kinda tired all of a sudden."

She wasn't surprised; after all, he had just lost a fair amount of blood. "Look here," she said, and his gaze went automatically back to her eyes. "You should drink lots of water for the next day or two. It will help you feel better."

He nodded slowly, eyes glassy again. "I'm really thirsty," he agreed.

She looked away, and he blinked hard behind her. "Tell you what. When we get to the gift shop, you may take a complementary water bottle."

"Really? Um—thanks!"

She giggled. "It is only fair, dearest. A drink for a drink, yes?"

He didn't understand what she meant, but he kept smiling as he followed her, still pressing down on his injured arm. 


End file.
